South Park heads to Comic-Con, marking 15th season

Fans will be transported into the world of “South Park” as they walk into the 15,000-square-foot Ultimate Fan Experience located at 450 2nd Avenue (at 1st Avenue & J Street), just outside the San Diego Convention Center.

The South Park Year of the Fan Experience, a free public event, commemorates the series’ 15th season.

The festivities kick off with a South Park-themed parade starting at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, July 21 at 5th Avenue and K Street, with the venue officially opening at 1 p.m., and run through Saturday, July 23. Fans can participate in a costume contest which will take place during the afternoon of Saturday, July 23. The best character costumes will win a Kid Robot “Mysterion” figurine signed by Matt Stone and Trey Parker.

The South Park Year of the Fan Experience includes:

* A life-size replica of South Park Avenue.

* Interactive stations with social networking uploading capabilities including a Create Your Own Avatar station and an official badge by foursquare.

* A South Park photo booth and a face-painting station featuring famous “South Park” characters including Mitch Connor.

* A museum with South Park-inspired artwork by Ron English and other curated artists on display, including fan-submitted artwork chosen by English as well as South Park staff artwork.

* Famous South Park memorabilia, including the gown that Matt Stone wore to the Oscars in 2000, and the original cutouts and storyboards from the early seasons of the show.

* A screening of the original, un-aired South Park pilot and the South Park Bigger, Longer & Uncut movie at 8 p.m. Friday, followed by an informal Q&A session with members of the production staff.

* A center stage with South Park karaoke, costume competition, trivia contests and more emceed by comedian Owen Benjamin.

* A Big Wheel pedal fan prix race track.

* A school cafeteria where special edition bags of Cheesy Poofs will be given away.

* A Voice of the Fan confessional booth where South Park will interview the fans about their favorite South Park moment, and challenge them to sing the Cheesy Poof song or the South Park theme song. The best recordings may be used on Comedy Central, SouthParkStudios.com or on the upcoming Year of the Fan DVD.

Comedy Central has teamed up with foursquare to offer the official badge of San Diego Comic-Con. The badge will be South Park themed and available to everyone who checks into San Diego Comic-Con. In addition, unlocking the badge will make fans eligible to receive a special gift from Comedy Central and foursquare at the South Park Year of the Fan Experience.

In addition, South Park will be giving away a pair of tickets to the Tony Award-winning musical The Book of Mormon every day at the Ultimate Fan Experience.

To celebrate the 15th season of South Park, Comedy Central and South Park Digital Studios will honor the fans that have turned the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning series into a cultural phenomenon with a year-long celebration, marking 2011 as “The Year of the Fan.”

“The Year of the Fan” brings viewers closer to South Park than they’ve ever been before, connecting them to the series in a multi-platform manner fitting for the heralded occasion, including an upcoming documentary to air on Comedy Central that takes fans behind-the-scenes of their favorite show; the introduction of Cheesy Poofs to a store near you, plus all-new never-before-seen South Park merchandise; and, an art exhibit curated by Ron English featuring interpretations of the series by the famed street artist and pop surrealist painter and 14 other hand-picked artists as well.

South Park will also host ongoing contests and interactive elements at SouthParkStudios.com throughout the Year of the Fan.